Teacher Beliefs as a Complex System: English Language Teachers in China

Abstract

Figures and Tables.- Preface.- Acknowledgments.- 1. Introduction.- 1.1 Aims and rationale.- 1.2 Methodological design.- 1.3 The significance.- 1.4 Overview of the study.- 2. Approaching Teachers' beliefs from a perspective of complexity theory.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Definition of teacher beliefs.- 2.3 Introduction to language teacher beliefs.- 2.4 Complexity theory as a tool for understanding the relationship between beliefs, practice and contexts.- 2.5 Theoretical framework of the study.- 2.6 Analytical framework of the study.- 2.7 Conclusion.- 3. Chinese ELT context and EFL teachers.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Socio-economic contexts of Chinese educational reform.- 3.3 Chinese educational reform in the 21st century.- 3.4 Chinese EFL teachers' dilemmas.- 3.5 Chinese EFL teachers' professional development.- 3.6 Conclusion.- 4. Complex features of Chinese EFL teachers' beliefs about EFL teaching.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Heterogeneity of the teachers' professed beliefs about EFL teaching and learning.- 4.3 Interactive features of the teachers' professed beliefs.- 4.4 Conclusion.- 5. Interactive dynamics between EFL teachers' beliefs and practice.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Major types of the teachers' practices and the teachers' beliefs in practice.- 5.3 Analysis of the interactions between the teachers' beliefs and practice.- 5. 4 Dynamic features of the teachers' beliefs.- 5.5 Conclusion.- 6. Adaptive dynamics between EFL teachers' beliefs and contexts.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Openness of the teachers' belief systems.- 6.3 The mechanism of adaptation of the teachers' complex belief system.- 6.4 Self-organisation of the teachers' complex belief system.- 6.5 Conclusion.- 7. Complex features and co-adaptive mechanism of EFL teachers' belief systems.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Heterogeneous belief systems.- 7.3 Interactive dynamic belief systems.- 7.4 Open and co-adaptive belief systems.- 7.5 Making sense of the teachers' belief systems: dynamic stability and self-organisation.- 7.6 Conclusion.- 8. Conclusion.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Theoretical implications.- 8.3 Methodological implications.- 8.4 Pedagogical implications.- 8.5 Implications for further research